Manufacture of spokes



June 5, 1923.

A. J. ADAMS MANUFACTURE OF SPGKBS Filed Feb. 17. 1921 as i M Y Q95, Z @W Patented June 5, 1923.-

y 1,4575% UNITED STATES PAT-ENTOFFICE;

ARTHUR J. ADAMS, or BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To THE FULTON COMPANY, I

or BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN.

MANUFACTURED]? SPOKES.

Application filed February 17,1921. Serial No. 445,617.

- To all whom it may concern:

wheels. of small vehicles, such as perambulators, go-carts, childrens sulkies and the like. My main object is to providea desirable and inexpensive method of manufacturing spokes which can be employed to provide astaunch and durable Wheel at moderate cost.

It is well known that the wire wheels commonly employed for perambulators and thelike are not staunch and durable, and it is also true that the Wooden artillery'wheels which are in use are not entirely satisfactory. The present invention provides for the construction of a metal wheel which can be manufactured at moderate cost, which can be subjectedto an enameling operation with facility, which is exceedingly strong and durable, and which presents a pleasing appearance.

The invention is illustrated in'the accom-' panying drawing in which- Fig. 1 represents a broken sectional view of a wheel provided with spokes formed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a broken elevational view of the wheel-hub; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view showing the relation of the spokes to the wheel-hub; Fig. 4:, an inner view of one of the hubplates employed; Fig. 5, a plan vlew of a metal strip or blank employed in the forma tion of a spoke; Fig. 6 an elevational view of a tubular spoke formed from the blank shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a broken perspective view showing the inner end of a spoke, and Fig. 8, a broken perspective view showing the outer end of a spoke.

In the drawing, the wheel is shown composed of tubular spokes A; a rim B; and a hub C.

The spokes A are formed from fiat strips of metal of the form illustrated inFig. 5.

The rim B may be made from a strip of sheet metal suitably rolled to make it of concavo-convex cross-section. The rim is provided at its inner circumferential portion with lugs or bosses 1,whieh areiformed by punching the metal through. I I

The hub C comprises a hub-barrel 2, and a pair of hub-plates on'each end of the barrel 2. Each hub-plate comprises an inner annular disk or plate 3 and an outer annular disk or plate 4:. The plate 3 is provided with lugs?) adapted to'be bent over the circumferential-edge of the companion plate 4 to secure the hub-plates. together in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The ,hubplates are provided with half cylindrical radial embossments which are complemental and afford sockets 5 for the inner ends of the spokes. Thespokes have their inner ends entered'into the sockets-and their outer ends engaging the bosses l ofthe rim; and

.thepairs of hub-plates are then forced towards each other, thus placing thespokes under compression. The ends of the barrel I 2 are spun outwardly to provide retaining flanges 2". formed from a sheet metal blank by rolling it into tubular form, is provided with outwardly struck bosses 6 which are adapted bers' of the pairs of hub-plates; The metal strip or blank shown in Fig. 5 is provided at the end which corresponds with'the inner end of the spoke with a cen- The barrel 2, which may be to to afford stops engagedby the inner memtral concavity 7 and with beveled and slightly recessed corners 8, the metal at the corners being cut away more deeply than at the recess 7. When the strip is formed into a tube, the recess 7 and the recesses formed by the cut-away corners 8 provide diametrical opposite concavities which are adapted to fit against the convexity of the hub-barrel; and it will be noted that the concavity afforded by the complemental recess 8 is deeper, or lower,-than is the concavitiy 7. This is to enable the walls of the concavities to engage the hub-barrel properly. while the spokeis in the inclined position shown in the assembly in Fig. 1.

The blank is further provided at the end corresponding with the inner end of the spoke with intermediate recesses or concavities 9 disposed between the central concavity 7 and the cut away corners of the blank.

with the outer end of the spoke, the strip is provided with concavities or recesses, 10 which flank the longitudinal axis of the strip. This provides high points 11 at the corners and a high point 12 at the center, the point 12 being preferably slightly lower, however, than the points 11. Whenthe strip is formed into a tube the lateral edges of the strip are made to meet along the line 13, as shown in Fig. 6. It will be noted from Fig. 6 that the concavities 7 and 8 are diametrically opposite each other and in the plane which contains the meeting edges 13 of the strip; and it will be noted that the concavities 10 at the other end of the spoke are diametrically opposite each other, but on an axis at right angles to the axis of the con cavities 7 and 8. Thus, the concavities 7 and 8 are adapted to engage the hub-barrel, while the concavities 10 are adapted to engage the convex surface of the rim. in assembling the wheel, the seams 13 of the spokes are turned inwardly, so that at their outer sides the spokes present the appearance of seamless tubes. After the wheel has been assembled and before the tire is applied, the wheel is dipped in enamel and then baked, so that the joints become covered with enamel and are practically unnoticeable.

The improvement enables an exceedingly staunch, durable and attractive wheel to be manufactured at very moderate cost.

iVhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of making a tubular spoke which comprises providing one end of a flat strip of metal with a central concavity and chamfered corners, and then forming the which comprises providing one end of a metal strip with a central concavity and chamfered corners and providing the other end with two concavities flanking the axis of the strip, and forming the strip into a tube, whereby the tube is provided at the first mentioned end with diametrically opposite recesses adapted to fit a hub-barrel and is provided in a plane at right angles thereto, at the other end, with diametrically opposite recesses adapted to fit a rim.

4:. The method of making a tubular spoke which comprises providing one end of a metal strip with a central recess and with intermediate recesses flanking the central recess and with chamfered corners, and forming the strip into a tube, whereby said end of said spoke is provided with diametrically opposite concavities adapted to fit a hub-barrel and at right angles thereto with recesses enabling the inner end of the spoke to be closely nested with relation to adjacent spokes.

ARTHUR J. ADAMS 

